Footwear industry leaders are using their platforms to speak out in support of Israel in the wake of Hamas terrorists’ devastating attacks on the country over the weekend.
On Saturday morning, Hamas launched an invasion through the border of Gaza, killing and injuring hundreds of men, women and children in Israel and taking close to 150 hostages back into Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war with Hamas and launched a wave of counterattacks on Gaza. As of Wednesday, according to The Wall Street Journal, at least 1,200 people had died in Israel, with hundreds more injured by Hamas. In Gaza, Palestinian authorities said 900 people had been killed and more injured from retaliatory attacks.
Ronnie Fieg, founder, CEO and creative director of Kith, took to Instagram stories on Tuesday to discuss how he has been handling the situation in Israel, where his family is from.
“My mind and heart keep coming back to hoping for peace and trying to process a tragedy brought forth by terrorists who only want to see pain,” Fieg wrote. “No matter what, I remain in support of decency and pray for strength, safety and peace.”
In a reel posted to Instagram, Kenneth Cole called out the “flagrant human rights violations in Israel” that he said undermine “our fundamental humanity.”
“If we stay quiet and allow this to happen anywhere, we are essentially enabling it to happen everywhere,” Cole said. “Our physical and mental health and our collective well-being requires that we address these gross atrocities and hate-fueled rhetoric. As I’ve often said, and I strongly believe, our voices are our greatest accessory.”
Designer Isaac Mizrahi shared a photo of the Israeli flag on his Instagram grid earlier this week with the caption, “I stand with the people in Israel.” Footwear and handbag designer Rebecca Minkoff earlier this week also shared a post on Instagram with the words “I stand with Israel” beneath an image of the star of David. In a statement on her stories, she shared: “While you might follow this brand for fashion and handbags, there is also a proud Jewish founder behind it. Me.”
She continued: “The hate, antisemitism and utter brutality that both innocent victims and Jews have faced the last few days has made me sick and question if there is hope for humankind. The power to love is in all of us and now is the time to listen, learn and not allow moments like this to divide. There is no justification in terrorism. We need your voice, we need you all to speak up. We can help one another and we can unite.”
In addition to designers, leaders from the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) and the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) also shared statements highlighting their groups’ support of Israel.
“This brutal attack touches many of us in the industry personally and deeply,” said AAFA president and CEO Steve Lamar. “We are devastated that hate leads one people to attack another people as they worship. We stand with Israel and pray for a speedy resolution that leads to lasting peace.”
FDRA president and CEO Matt Priest said in a Monday post on LinkedIn that the industry group and its members “stand with Israel during this trying time and in support of our Jewish brothers and sisters in the #footwear industry.”
